mrl0004

ad to get out and fish. I was starting to go a little crazy. Got out there before first light. Figured I would go for big fish first. It was extremely overcast and very rainy.
Rigged up and ready.....


Big fish didn't want to cooperate. Granted I don't here of much being caught there anyways, but I went where I was taken. I was glad to be able to get out on a boat for a change. Beggars can't be chooser right? Most of the morning was spent casting in this deluge.


After it was obvious that we weren't going to catch out target, we opted for something smaller.
Started banging the baks with a small clouser...

Never caught one of these before. Yellow perch?



If we go purely by number of species, I did pretty well. The only thing I could have filled a cooler with was the crappie. Most were actually keeper size (9-11").

As we were drifting down a side creek, something caught my eye. "Is that a ...., it damn sure is...."


Apparently it's back right leg was broken and it couldn't get back up the hill. Not sure how it happened. There was no obvious wound anywhere. You can see it nursing the back leg here:


A hunter came by on a kayak and unloaded a bow on the opposite side to prepare for a hunt. I told him there was an easy shot on this side of the creek and the deer probably wasn't going to live anyways. He said he didn't have permission to hunt on that side. So, good luck to you deer!


As we continued to drift I lost my only small chartreuse/white clouser, backcast will get you everytime. So I had to tie on a larger clouser, which I tied mind you. It is one of the 2 flies I have ever tied. And I only had one of 'em, and haven't fished it before. So I thought it would be cool to catch a fish on a fly I tied.

First cast.....first fish on a fly I tied

Also caught one of these..

It was small, but added to the variety a little. This would be the only one of these caught today by either of us.

Caught a couple more of these....then called it a day


On the way out, I saw a bald eagle.


Drove to a trout stream to round out the day. Apparently I had not had enough of the rain that now had my clothes completely water logged.



It was a good day. Wet, but good. I caught 5 different species of fish on a day where fishing was tough. Saw some wildlife and made it back to land. I can't complain............ 8)

Chuck7

Great pics MLooo4..love that collection of fly rods..I feel sorry for the deer.When I start fly fishing I'll get with you..for advice.
have a great day,
C7

mrl0004

Sorry about that Chuck. I copied and pasted to several forums. I forget to edit some things. I'll fix it. You might want to edit your post as well. Not sure why you quoted it and thereby preserving it.
Matt

Gangly

Nice pictures and beautiful fish. Looks like crappie, yellow perch, sunfish, baby striper, trout of some sort? Great Job!

Chuck7

10-4 good body..Thanks for the fantastic attitude.

mrl0004

Well, I know enough to know that I don't know everything about it, and never will. Although I do it quite a bit now and am leaps and bounds from where I began. So whenever you get the urge, I'll be glad to help. I would highly recommend it. Wouldn't help you much with the thick stuff for bass, but a foam popper stripped across a lily pad bed or weed bed, BAM! Everything feels a lot more sensitive on a fly rod, that's why I like it. I'm sure Phil from Maine shares my sentiment!

Phil from Maine

Your right Mrl0004, Phil from Maine loves catching fish on a flyrod... ;-) and that small fish certainly is a small yellow perch.. We catch a lot of them up here and have a certain dislike for them... It appears when they move into an area they populate rather quickly forcing your target fish out of the area..

Most all my flies are hand tied and it feels great when you catch fish on the stuff you make.. I also only have a very few wieghted flies as top water is hard to beat. I currently have 3 or 4 fly tying kits combined into 1.. With plans on purchasing another used kit from a guy up here this spring..

For bass the hair mouse is hard to beat popping along on top of the lilly pads.. You just have to love it when the water boils up from them.. The down fall is trying to get them out of those weeds.. Poppers are also great ( on the smallmouths any ways ) and sometimes they are the only thing a bass would hit..

Chuck7

I 've caught a few bass on a flyrod..but still there are many
elementary things that I don't know..

FEW QUESTIONS

Like line weight..I havn't a clue what they mean

I'm not sure if I'm attaching the leader to the line or not..
I buy this littl emedal eye thing that sticks into the green
floating line..and then tie about 5 foot of 10 pound mono
to it..I do know how to cast a fly rod..Presently I don't
have one..I sold it in a garage sale along time ago..

Question..how does one decide what weight line to buy ?

What material in your fly rod do you guys like to use mostly?/
bamboo, graphite or any other?

I would mostly use bugs / large poppers for bass..
When fishing for pass in structure..what size poundage leader
would you use..

What to you guys mostly use for a leader?

What is a tippit?

Is a bamboo fly rod the best? I've been looking on ebay for an old
in very good shape vintage bamboo rod...

Phil from Maine

For myself I purchase my line weight that matches my rod wieght.. For instance for fishing brook trout I use a 4 weight pack rod.. ( 4 piece rod ) . So the line I use on this is a 4 weight line.. Then comes a question on what taper. I choose to use a douple tapered line on brook trout because of using a lighter fly and I do not always need a real long cast.. I would never use this rod on anything but brook trout though.. The leader is pretty much the same thing for me depending on what I am fishing for..

My best all around fly rod weight for salmon and bass is a 7 weight with a weight forward taper. For me I just tie on whatever piece of line I want for a leader that part does not matter to me.. Others may have a prefference but not me.. It depends again on what I am fishing for. I have caught a variety of fish on this rod from Atlantic Salmon ( which to me is the ultamite catching fish in the world for as far as weight and fighting goes..) to chain pickeral and white perch. This rod I use a 7 weight line on it. It is a lot of fun catching fish on a fly rod though.. I also have a spare spool for my reel that I use weight forward slow sinking line with. Sometimes in the spring I will use this nymph fishing for brookies to help sink a nymph down..

For as far as what the rod is made out of it is what fits your needs best.. I currently use graphite for brookies and fiberglass for my all around flyrod..

When learning to cast with a fly rod take a plastic soda bottle and place it in your arm pit that you will be casting from. If your drop the soda bottle practice some more. This is so that you use only your forearm and your wrists when casting. I hope some of this helps you und3rstand a little more about it..

I see you have had no luck with the bass yet? Did you try a slow troll with those streamers I sent down to you yet? It may be a good time to try one out.. Just remember to place a split shot around 2 feet ahead of it.. Good luck..

Myself I would shy away from the old vintage bamboo flyrod as the can be dried out and not much use for fishing with.. Once dried out the can become rather brittle.. I wouldn't mind having one to just place on the wall to go along with a wall hanger though..

For as far as tippets go I do not use them as I tie my line onto the fly line..

Chuck7

no luck yet?/ LOL I haven't fished yet
this year..still hunting..{ -;

I will be fishing this coming Monday..
there is no school..I will fish my butt off..as far as lure.
.I'll pitch a black worm all day..

When I do fly fish I'll use the bugs.Thanks
for telling me about the #7 weight line.at least
I know what to buy now.{ -; I saw a man on youtube
catch a nice big bass on a flyriod..looked like a lot of fun.

Appreciate the info Phil..I still have your streamers..mostly
as a keep sake..{ -; our thick vegetation is not a good place
to use them..but whenever I see them I think of Phil from maine.
C7